A 62-year-old diagnosed with gastric cancer develops a stage two skin reaction from radiation therapy. The nurse is evaluating his symptoms and expects to find which of the following:

Explanation

•Stage two skin reactions from radiation therapy cause tender and bright erythema, moist desquamation, and moderate edema.

•Radiation therapy makes use of ionizing radiation to kill or limit the growth of cancer cells. Common side-effects of this procedure include skin itching, redness, burning, oozing, and sloughing.

•Radiation induced skin reactions can be staged 0-4.

•0: No change from baseline.
•1: Faint or dull erythema, epilation, dry desquamation, decreased sweating.
•2: Tender or bright erythema, moist desquamation, and moderate edema.
•3: Confluent and moist desquamation and pitting edema.
•4: Ulceration, hemorrhage, necrosis

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